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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
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`17/284,910
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`09/15/2021
`
`Tae Seok PARK
`
`PK3454668
`
`1967
`
`NOVICK, KIM & LEE, PLLC, dba NKL Law
`3251 Blenheim Blvd
`SUITE 500
`FAIRFAX, VA 22030
`
`MCCARTHY, SAMANTHA SHAWN
`
`3772
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`02/09/2024
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`docket0O1 @nkllaw.com
`docket02 @nkllaw.com
`skim @nkllaw.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-5 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`CL] Claim(s)__is/are allowed.
`Lj Claim(s)__ is/are rejected.
`() Claim(s)
`is/are objected to.
`Claim(s) 1-5 are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been‘determined allowable, you may beeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)(C The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)(¥j The drawing(s)filed on 15 September 2021 is/are: a)(¥| accepted or b)L) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)(¥) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)Y) All
`1.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. |
`3.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`*“ See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
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`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`2) (J Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
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`4)
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`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240129
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/284,910
`PARK, Tae Seok
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`SAMANTHA S MCCARTHY
`3772
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 2 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 15 September 2021.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)(2) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/284,910
`Art Unit: 3772
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Election/Restrictions
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`REQUIREMENT FOR UNITY OF INVENTION
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`As provided in 37 CFR 1.475(a), a national stage application shall relate to one invention only or
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`to a group of inventions so linked as to form a single general inventive concept (“requirement of unity of
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`invention”). Where a group of inventions is claimed in a national stage application, the requirement of
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`unity of invention shall be fulfilled only when thereis a technical relationship among those inventions
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`involving one or more of the same or corresponding special technical features. The expression “special
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`technical features” shall mean those technical features that define a contribution which each of the
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`claimed inventions, considered as a whole, makes over the prior art.
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`The determination whether a group of inventions is so linked as to form a single general
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`inventive concept shall be made without regard to whether the inventions are claimed in separate
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`claims or as alternatives within a single claim. See 37 CFR 1.475(e).
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`When Claims Are Directed to Multiple Categories of Inventions:
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`As provided in 37 CFR 1.475 (b), a national stage application containing claims to different
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`categories of invention will be considered to have unity of invention if the claims are drawn only to one
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`of the following combinations of categories:
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`(1) A product and a process specially adapted for the manufacture of said product; or
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`(2) A product and a processof use of said product; or
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`(3) A product, a process specially adapted for the manufacture of the said product, and a use of
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`the said product; or
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/284,910
`Art Unit: 3772
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`Page 3
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`(4) A process and an apparatus or means specifically designed for carrying out the said process;
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`or
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`(5) A product, a process specially adapted for the manufacture of the said product, and an
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`apparatus or means specifically designed for carrying out the said process.
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`Otherwise, unity of invention might not be present. See 37 CFR 1.475(c).
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`Restriction is required under 35 U.S.C. 121 and 372.
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`This application contains the following inventions or groups of inventions which are not so
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`linked as to form a single general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1.
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`This application contains claims directed to more than one species of the generic invention.
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`These species are deemed to lack unity of invention because they are not so linked as to form a single
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`general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1.
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`The species are as follows:
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`Species A: Dental Drill according to claim 1, encompassing a described distinct embodiment not
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`requiring/including the features of claims 2-3.
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`Species B: Drill according to claims 2-3;
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`SpeciesC: Drill according to claim 5;
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`Applicant is required, in reply to this action, to elect a single species to which the claims shall be
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`restricted if no generic claim is finally held to be allowable. The reply must also identify the claims
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`readable on the elected species, including any claims subsequently added. An argument that a claim is
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`allowable or thatall claims are generic is considered non-responsive unless accompanied byan election.
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`Upon the allowance of a generic claim, applicant will be entitled to consideration of claims to
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`additional species which are written in dependent form or otherwise require all the limitations of an
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`allowed generic claim. Currently, the following claim(s) are generic: None.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/284,910
`Art Unit: 3772
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`Page 4
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`The groupsof inventions listed above do not relate to a single general inventive concept under
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`PCT Rule 13.1 because, under PCT Rule 13.2, they lack the same or corresponding special technical
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`featuresfor the following reasons:
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`Regarding Species A-C, the species lack unity of invention because even though the inventions
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`of these species require the technical feature of the limitations of a surgical drill for dental implant
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`comprising: a cutting part having a plurality of cutting blades that comprise saw teeth and are aligned in
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`a circular shape so as to perforate the alveolar bone; and a connecting part interposed between the
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`handpiece and the cutting part, the saw teeth aligned in a circular shape at the upper end thereof, a
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`cutting upper part extending downward from the saw teeth; a cutting lower part protruding downward
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`from the cutting upper part with an expanded diameter; and a coupling part at least one or more
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`protruding downwardly from the bottom surface of the cutting lower part, the connecting partis
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`configured to include a coupling protrusion inserted into the internal space of the cutting part, a
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`stepped part protruding downward from the bottom of the coupling protrusion with an expanded
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`diameter, and constraining the insertion length of the coupling hole; and an extended part extendedly
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`protruding from the bottom surface of the steppedpart so as to be connected to the handpiece, and the
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`coupling hole included to pass therethrough in the same position as the coupling part. This technical
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`feature is not a special technical feature as it does not make a contribution over the prior art in view of
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`KR 20150003639. Reference KR teachesa surgical drill for dental implant (crushing blade 200 connected
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`to connecting rod 100) comprising: a cutting part (crushing blade 200) having a plurality of cutting
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`blades (cutting edge 220) that comprise saw teeth and are aligned in a circular shape so as to perforate
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`the alveolar bone (cutting edge 200 is on the end of cylindrical crushing blade 200, therefore the cutting
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`blades that form the cutting edge are circular; See KR Figure 1); and a connecting part interposed
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`between the handpiece and the cutting part (rubber ring 130; See modified KR Figure 3), the saw teeth
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`aligned in a circular shape at the upper end thereof (see modified KR Figure 3), a cutting upper part
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/284,910
`Art Unit: 3772
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`Page 5
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`extending downward from the saw teeth (See modified KR Figure 3); a cutting lower part protruding
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`downward from the cutting upper part with an expanded diameter (See modified Figure 3); anda
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`coupling part at least one or more protruding downwardly from the bottom surface of the cutting lower
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`part, the connecting part is configured to include a coupling protrusion inserted into the internal space
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`of the cutting part (thread 110, see modified KR Figure 3), a stepped part protruding downward from
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`the bottom of the coupling protrusion with an expanded diameter (lower end of connecting rod 100
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`with a larger diameter than the upper end of connecting rod 100, see KR modified Figure 3), and
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`constraining the insertion length of the coupling hole; and an extended part extendedly protruding from
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`the bottom surface of the stepped part so as to be connected to the handpiece (connecting rod 100),
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`the coupling hole included to pass therethroughin the same position as the coupling part (See KR
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`Figures 2-3). Therefore, these species do not share a special technical feature and therefore lack unity of
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`invention a posteriori.
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`commer tinered
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`
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`connecting
`SNe’,
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`Modified KR 20150003639 Figure 3 to show the elementsof the claimed invention
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/284,910
`Art Unit: 3772
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`Page 6
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to SAMANTHA SHAWN MCCARTHYwhose telephone numberis (703)756-4595. The
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`examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Friday.
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`Examiner interviewsare available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
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`USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
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`the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Cris
`
`Rodriguez can be reached on 571-272-4964. The fax phone numberfor the organization where this
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`application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`571-272-1000.
`
`/SAMANTHA SHAWN MCCARTHY/
`Examiner, Art Unit 3772
`/EDWARD MORAN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3772
`
`